Pros:

Cons:

Yesterday, I put up some reviews of the surprisingly good TMNT on console and PC, so I expected to have a similarly satisfying play experience on the DS. Unfortunately, TMNT on the DS is not really a game per se. It's more of an exercise in monotonously and somewhat randomly pressing buttons and hoping that this activity will somehow lead to things happening on the screen. Unlike the console and PC versions of TMNT, the DS version doesn't focus on platforming in the traditional manner and suffers horrifically for it, not unlike anyone who might play this game.

Shame in your Game

The choppy gameplay of TMNT revolves around tapping the face buttons at nearly rhythmic intervals and praying that they do what you want. As your turtle dashes across the rooftops of New York City, you rely on the top three face buttons to jump left, forward or right (respectively) in order to proceed through the level. The trouble is that the camera doesn't always align itself properly with your little green avatar, so whether you want to jump left, forward or right is anyone's guess. The reason that you have to choose directions to begin with is that you are hopelessly limited to performing leaps from and to specific jumping points. To make matters worse, at seemingly random intervals these jumping points require you to hold down the B button (usually reserved to the idiotic combat) to charge a jump. This mechanic is probably the most counter-intuitive thing I've ever had the misfortune to encounter in any game.

Beyond the slapdash jumping controls, the combat is woefully sub-par. Whereas the console and PC versions do their best to expand upon a fairly limited battle system (consisting of only a handful of moves), the DS version takes the opposite approach by limiting your options even further. Essentially, you press the B button to unleash a limp attack and press it three times to perform a "combo." I use the quotation marks to indicate that these "combos" are just three limp attacks in a row, with the last being slightly more flashy and damaging. This makes fighting the Foot Clan a painful series of B button presses that was simultaneously annoying and boring the first time I did it and did not improve one iota as the game progressed. This frustrating procedure is compounded by the fact that each attack moves your turtle forward by about a yard, so if you are just a smidge off-center, you'll lunge right by your target and end up taking a blade in the back.

Multiplayer is exactly the same, minus the combat sections. You and a friend (though I don't know what friend you would want to inflict this game on) compete in a game of Ninja Tag, where you race through a level using the same muddled jumping mechanics as the single-player. It's not fun in the single-player game and although misery loves company, it doesn't benefit the multiplayer.

In stark contrast to my experiences with the console and PC versions of TMNT (not to mention the shockingly awesome GBA version), the DS version managed to disappoint at every opportunity. It wasn't fun for a second and I would strongly caution any gamer tempted to even rent this one. The shoddy and confusing storyline will make this game repugnant even to diehard Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go soak my DS in a vat of sulfuric acid to see if maybe that will burn the stink off.